Well, I received an unexpected Christmas present from a branch of our family living in California and Virginia.

My grandmother always use to say we were related to someone on the Mayflower. But no one could explain how we were related except her and she passed away 20 years ago. Well in the mail last week we received geneological research tracing the pedigree chart back to John Alden of the Mayflower. This would be on my father's mother's side of the family.

What is even more interesting is there is 5 generations of Thayer in my family background. Living in Braintree, MA there is the Thayer house, Thayer Library, Thayer Academy. No wonder I always felt at home here as these people were probably my GGGGGGG grandparents!

I hope to apply for a membership in the Mayflower society sometime next year. Here is the geneology chart:

John Alden (of the Mayflower) m. (born 1599)Priscilla Mullins

Ruth Alden (daughter) m.John Bass

Sarah Bass (daughter) m.Ephraim Thayer

Shadrach Thayer (son) m.Rachel White

Noah Thayer (son) m.Margaret Harmon

Meribab Thayer (daughter) m.Aaron Littlefield

Polly Littlefield (daughter) m.John Wild

Mary Wild (daughter) m.Eli Hayden

Mary Ann Haden (daughter) m.Warren Dunbar

Mary Dunbar (daughter) m.Frank Elkins

Maybell Crawford Elkins (daughter) m.Lester MacArthur

Curtis MacArthur (son) m.Ruth Beuley

Paul MacArthur (son) Well, I now have a wealth of genelogical data from about 6-7 different branches of the family. All of this was researched by other people so I feel very fortunate to be able to pass this down on to my kids.

Great to hear that you were able to track down your geneology back to the Mayflower, I also have roots back to there! I'm still living in Virginia. Born here, traveled a bit, but, this will always be "home" to me! I hope to find the time to be able to track mine back to the auld sod! Definatelly, a bloody Irishman, here! Cheers, smilieRhatcher1313

After so many generations, there have to be many people in the US who are descendants of people who sailed on the Mayflower. But there are few that can actually trace their line back. Congratulations.

My own grandparents all immigrated during the great immigrations of the beginning of the twentieth century. My grandmother sailed on the Cunard Line Saxonia with her mother and brothers. Her father had sailed on the White Star Line Teutonic a few years earlier.

Back then, immigrants bought a single ticket to their destination in the US. In my family's case the ticket included travel from Hanko Finland to Hull England by Finnish Line Steamships, train from Hull to Liverpool, steamship from Liverpool to New York or Boston on either Cunard or White Line ships and train to northern Michigan. The fare for my great grandmother and her three children was twenty four dollars.

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Näkemiin

Dave (SCA: Geoffrey Genour of Carney)Protector of Bits and Bytes, Third cousin once removed to Phil, Prince of Insufficient Light

I have Thayers in my family tree though, from MA. They're probably not related, but I thought it was interesting to mention anyway. One of my great-something aunts, Rebecca Carpenter (1822-?), married a Seth Thayer (1821-?). His line goes back to an Abel Thayer.